The city of León is known as the Shoe Capital of the World because here we find a concentration of a large number of factories producing shoes and leather articles of high quality, whose reputation has gone beyond the country’s borders.

Take a look at the first City Map (Format *.pdf) of this lovely city.

This territory was founded on January 20th, 1576, under the name of Villa de León, by order of the Viceroy Don Martín Enríquez de Almanza, for the purpose of creating a defensive barrier against the attacks of the Chichimecas. In 1580 it was raised to the status of a major municipality, separated from Guanajuato and took jurisdiction over what is now the city of León.

This territory was founded on January 20th, 1576, under the name of Villa de León, by order of the Viceroy Don Martín Enríquez de Almanza, for the purpose of creating a defensive barrier against the attacks of the Chichimecas. In 1580 it was raised to the status of a major municipality, separated from Guanajuato and took jurisdiction over what is now the city of León.

Today the venerable buildings of the colonial period contrast in its streets with the modern architecture and broad avenues that shape the image of a city that is constantly moving forward.

Its territory was inhabited in pre-Hispanic times by various native tribes such as the Toltecs, Chichimecas and Guamares, among others. Archaeological sites like Alfaro and Ibarrilla, near the city of León, show that the oldest settlements in this zone date from the Pre-Classical period.

• Casa de la Cultura: Built in the mid-19th century, with a baroque facade.
  
  
• Arch of Triumph: Built in 1893 to commemorate the 83rd anniversary of the independence of Mexico. It is in the neoclassic style and boasts a bronze lion donated by the bullfighter from León, Antonio Velázquez.
  
  
• Plaza de los Mártires: A square that commemorates the struggle between political factions for local power that occurred in 1946. It is bounded on three sides by beautiful, neoclassic doorways.